I finally have the whole thing set. The CND 1307sp custom, lamson 3.5 litespeed, rio 6/7/8 windcutter, a #6 white bunny spey with a salmon colored marabou collar. The place was Paradise pool, upper fly zone stretch of the Salmon RIver, Altmar, NY. A pod of steelhead were going through the motions of spawning in the tail, although they had been done for a week. I spent a few minutes practicing the casts and then got into the prime swing. 1/2 hour after hooking the bottom twice and swinging the fly through unmolested, the line stopped halfway through the drift. The line slackened up momentarily, then was ripped violently. The buck poirposed twice out of the tail and ran into the pool. five minutes later I had the 5 lb buck on shore. Totals for the trip, all on white, olive and black bunny flies, 4 fish landed to 6 fish hooked.

This was my first experience swinging flies for spring steelies. I have been converted. What a rush. Any other experiences out there for great lakes steelies?

Right on Shaq!
Music to my ears... Believe it or not, you describe the daydream I've had for the past two days, since they announced the drop to 750cfs. - been picturing the UFZ, me and my CND 14'4sp, and the new double bunnys I've been tying, after receiving one of Loren Williams' beauties at the LOSA seminar at Douglaston. Kinda spooky...Unfortunately, I've been tied to the hitching post... Glad you got it done! Sounded like one of those 'special' days...
cheers,
macspey

When that first fish took off, it felt like a dream. I could not believe that this stuff actually worked. Those CND Rods are awesome, I tried some others, (Orvis 12'6" 7wt) and it felt real heavy compared to mine. The steelies are really starting to drop back and chase flies. I hooked fish in the upper and lower fly zones, the schoolhouse and ellis cove. I can't wait to try it when the steelies are fresh and HOT in November.

I tied mine on #4 targus steelhead hooks. Small tail of zonker strip on top of either krystal flash or the flash dubbing. wrap the zonker strip up the shank palmering the hair backwards. Collar the fly with one wrap of marabou, real sparse to add contrast and motion. 2 to 3 inches long total. no weight, lots of motion. Wasn't too hard to cast but I may be wrong, It was my first time so I don't have anything to go by.

Also hooked fish on an olive sculpin pattern which had a Spun deer head with a zonker strip in the rear. This was a little harder to get up in the air.

I have the 6/7/8 windcutter, set up with the fist section, then just the type 8 tip. This gave me 40 feet or so of line. A simple single or double spey and I could shoot another 15 feet of line with the cast. This was more than enough line for anywhere on the salmon. Kind of a scandenavian style of casting, from the videos I have seen.